Ol Al

FLY CASTING CLINIC For all levels of casters and instructors. June 28 th. is the next Clinic, it will be held near Glen Rose at Hawk Ridge Flycasting School with special training for CCI Candidates on the 29th. The fee for the Saturday Classes is $100.00 Noon bar-B-Q included The fee for the Sunday CCI Clinic is $50.00 Burgers on the Bar B Saturday June 28th The classes start at 7:30 to get ahead of the heat. We will have both class room and casting on the casting venues. This is what should be covered. Saturday 7:00 AM Coffee and sweets. Introductions of Instructors and Students. Why and how this Clinic is set up What you should get out of this training 7:30 Evaluations of the students 8:00 Terms of the fly Caster [new changes.] s 9:00 Casting 10:00 Bill's essentials./Bruce Richard’s 6 step 11:00 Casting 12:00 Lunch Chicken BBQ 1:00 "Physical problems to overcome & Special instruction for CFR instructors" 2:00 Casting 3:00 Lines and leaders, rod actions 4:00 Loops & control slack line casting / Casting in the wind 5:00 Distance & Saltwater Casting Sunday 29th Training for CCI Candidates. It is a basic CCI workshop that covers all that I can about the FFF CCI program, and the Test, that I can with out giving it. As the instructor I can not test. This also has many hints on being an instructor. It starts about 7:30 and ends afternoon Hamburgers on the grill. $50.00 There is camping on the ranch for tents or self contained RVs, if you are a fly fishing bum. You can come in on Friday. Glen Rose does have several motels and B & Bs Contact me at flysoup@itexas.net Call 254 396-1574 to set your spot at the clinic. Allen Crise FFF Master Casting Instructor. Hawk Ridge Flycasting School 2508 A County Rd 1011 Glen Rose, TX 76043

Howdy Gang I will be at the Smallmouth Rendezvous may 2,3, If you are still hurting yourself See me. I will get the pain out. Ask Lori Sloan. She was doing the samethings. It hurt. Now it does not. ol Al

Howdy Terry, Thank you for the Flowers. Yes I will be at Sow Bug Round up Wed thru Sunday. Of course I will have a couple of classes and I am also testing on Saturday. If at all nice I might even get to try a brown at night Doctor Ray Emerson and I are at he Ramada Inn. YOU know what happens at night behind the Ramada Inn When Chuck and I are there. Drew I happen to love Bamboo rods. I learn on one that was slow. The fiberglass was faster. Then came Graphite. then came 5th 6th 7th generation of graphite. I enjoy the ease of casting the slower rods but I do not feel that the Graphite hurt me. I have no idea why you feel that the graphite is hard on your body. I teach Women from CFR to fish and use 5 & 6 wt graphite rods. I do teach what I call the "softcast". Catch up with me at Sow Bug and I will show you. Offer open to anyone. ol Al

Howdy Black. The pain you feel is the start of Tendinitis. STOP casting that hard. Get help as Terry said. Next: You are now using a state of the art casting tool. It does require some adjustment in the casting Stroke. You are no longer casting a weight at the end of the rod but instead a weight 30 ft. long. The first 30 ft of line is the Weight to load or bend the rod. YOU have to get it all going the same direction before you form a loop. The STROKE is the key to getting this done. Move the hand more Do not rotate the rod or wrist until you have made this movement. Check the Terms above. Now the Two other things you need to learn is to STOP the rod. This is the transfer of energy from the bent rod to the line in the form of a LOOP. I will bet you are throwing the rod. Not stopping. Of course until you are shown or some one helps this does not make a lot of usable information. This same casting stroke and stop is what make the loop for a mend. If you are not moving the arm and hand you are losing much of the loading of the rod. If you can have a good caster or CCI help you will save much pain and aggravation. ol Al

This is an up date to the Terms of the Fly Caster from Gordon Hill CBOG ol Al Changes in Red We are still working on the final wordings. Let me give you my present opinion, (which will probably be close to the final exact wordings ). Our Glossary Committee has had a well deserved rest for a period of time, but we'll start working again, soon. These two terms are important since so many other definitions will depend upon them. THESE ARE NOT YET OFFICIAL !!! Gordy CASTING ARC: Also called, "Casting angle". This is the angular change between the positions of the butt section of the rod from the beginning to that of the completion of the cast. CASTING ARC: Angular change in the position of the rod butt from the start of significant acceleration to loop formation. CASTING PLANE: Many use this term in preference to the way I have used," LINE PLANE." LINE PLANE: Trajectory of the line. (For example — a high back cast followed by a low forward cast, maintaining 180 degrees between the two.) ROD PLANE: The orientation of the rod from vertical to horizontal on either side of the caster. TRACKING: Technically, the property of the rod tip following a straight line in all planes. In common use, however, it is considered the property of the moving rod tip to deviate or not from right to left. (Good tracking would be no deviation.) CASTING STROKE: The linear path taken by the hand during the cast CASTING STROKE: Movement of the rod butt from the start of significant acceleration to loop formation. This would seem to be the same as the wording for casting arc...... but it includes the mixture of translation and rotatory movements. Important when we consider distance casts where the caster uses translation as, "drag" and delays rotation to help yield a tight loop. Technically, "drag" (translation alone) with absolutely no rotation won't yield any significant acceleration, because the rod tip can move only as fast as the hand..... ie. about 2 to 3 meters a second. Not much acceleration there. CREEP: Minimally accelerated, slow (usually unintended) motion of the rod tip opposite that of an unrolling or newly unrolled loop. DRIFT: Movement of the rod tip (usually intended) in the direction of an unrolling loop. This can, 1.) Increase the available stroke length for the next stroke, 2.) Allow for repositioning of the hand/arm for the following stroke, 3.) Provide the feeling of, "staying connected", 4.) Provide increased, "hang time" for the above. FOLLOW-THROUGH: Same as drift, but used more often to describe the action immediately following the forward (presentation) stroke. STROKE LENGTH: The linear distance in the direction of the cast traveled by the hand. STROKE : Same as casting stroke. RSP: Rod Straight Position. (The point at which the fly line can overtake the rod tip allowing the loop to begin to form.) SLP: Straight Line Path of the rod tip. (Realizing that a perfect one would result in the line colliding with the rod tip......and the fact that the best, "elite" casters have a very slightly convex path of the rod tip). LEGS OF THE LOOP: The legs of a fly line loop are commonly described as 1.) the FLY LEG and; 2.) the ROD LEG. I prefer those terms instead of "top leg" and, "bottom leg" respectively, because it assumes a vertical rod plane. Where, for example, is the "top" leg when casting with the rod parallel to the ground? Note that a few mechanical engineers use the terms, "traveling leg" and, "stationary leg". These definitions suffer in the case of shooting line in which instance the term, "stationary" becomes a misnomer. Mac Brown (CASTING ANGLES, P. 88) refers to the legs of a loop as the, "end line" and "main line". I preferred not to use "main" since at the start of the cast that limb of the loop is much smaller than the other (fly leg).......one interpretation of the word, "main" being, "greatest". TAILING LOOP: A loop characterized by the fly (upper) leg crossing over the rod (lower) leg. Most often resulting from a concave rod tip path during or between strokes. OPEN LOOP: A Loop characterized by the large loop or lack of a the fly leg traveling in a flat plane. Caused by the convexed path of the rod tip. COUNTERFLEX: The flexion motion of the rod tip immediately after RSP. REBOUND: The reverse motion of the rod tip immediately after Counterflex. ROD HARMONICS: The first and second nodal vibration characteristics of a fly rod. TIP TRAVEL: Total linear distance the rod tip moves in the direction of the cast. (This can be the product of; 1.) Stroke length, 2.) Casting arc, 3.) Body motion in the direction of the cast & a step by the caster in the direction of the cast.) * KICK: One use is the sudden bucking of a level line at the conclusion of a cast. (Another use would be the description of rapid turnover of a fly leader beneath overlying brush.) MEND: In- the- air or on- the- water repositioning of the line after the cast. LAYOUT: The position of the fly line and leader upon landing on the water or the ground. OVERHANG: Two uses. One is the fallen brush or bushes, mangroves, etc. which protrude from the bank. OVERHANG as the length of running line between the rear end of the head taper and the rod tip. DOUBLE AND SINGLE HAULS: Most writers and instructors define a single haul as a pull with the line hand on either the back cast or the forward cast, and a double haul as a pull on each. You should be aware that Joan Wulff and her "disciples" teach it differently. She looks at the single haul as a pull without giving back line, and a double haul as a pull followed by giving back of line on a single stroke, forward or back. HIDDEN DRAG: Drag of a dry fly so slight as to escape the notice of the angler ... (But not the fish!) SPEY CAST: (My definition, after much deliberation and discussion with expert Spey folks.) An aerosolized, live line, change of direction roll type cast. The Rules RULE OF ELEVENS: Subtraction of the X leader number from 11 to come up with the leader diameter in thousandths. (Example: 4X leader = 11-4= 7= .007 " dia.) RULE OF 3's (or 4's): Division of the numerical fly hook size by either 3 or 4 to come up with the X number for the leader. (Example: # 12 hook. 12 divided by 3= 4=4X tippet) RULE OF "30": Method of coming up with the approximate grain weight of the first 30' of a fly line by multiplying the fly line rating number ("size") by 30. (A very rough approximation for mid range fly lines.) RULE OF "9’s": Rough calculation of the lb. test of a fly leader/tippet by subtracting the X number from 9. (Much less accurate in recent times because of wide variation in tippet material diameter/strength ratios.) RULE OF 90 degrees: When fighting a fish the most effective angle to pressure a fish is 90 degrees from the butt of the rod to the fish. This reduces as we increase the angle (Lean the rod back) and as we reduce this angle (point the rod tip at the fish) No longer have the shock absorber of the rod to save the tippet. RULE OF 180 degrees: This the position of the loops from each other on the forward and backward plane, with the rod tip on this chord. RULE OF Fly First: Keeping the fly moving down current before the leader/line, so as to not spook the fish.

Hey Brian Waiting to hear what you ending up doing at the show. ol Al

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Howdy Gang The next Casting Clinic is set for Saturday April 5, 2008 Starting at 7:00 am Hawk Ridge Flycasting School near Glen Rose TX 50 miles southwest of Ft.Worth TX. Classes will be covering basic to advanced fly Casting. I supply coffee and sweets,, Bar-B-Q lunch, cold drinks. This class is $100.00 After class we can Dutch treat to the 'Loco Coyote' for dinner. There will be several CCI to help you learn to cast or improve your casting. Beginners to advanced. This is the one you have been waiting for. There is room to set a tent or park your RV (Sorry no power) on the Ranch or one of the many motels in Glen Rose. Granbury Airport has loaner cars 18 miles way if you want to fly in. Sunday 4/6/08 I will work with the CCI Candidates. This 'Get Ready Class' will cover the Tasks and how to take the test. Cost on this is $50.00 Contact me at flysoup@itexas.net for an attendance form. ol Al Allen Crise FFF Master Casting Instructor Hawk Ridge Flycasting School Glen Rose TX 76043

Zach try this Ol Al ACA Casting News ACA/IGFA CASTING TOURNAMENT! Dear Allen, Time is running out! ACA will be holding the ACA/IGFA Casting Tournament headquartered at the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame and Museum in Dania Beach, Florida, on February 2-4 2008! IGFA is located across from Ft. Lauderdale and shares land with Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World and the Islamorada Fish Company Restaurant. Casters from 8 states and Canada have confirmed. Our Chicago, Cincinnati and Lexington ACA Clubs are coming to host, equip and help run the event. Registration deadline is extended to Jan. 15th.; afterward, you may register on-site before events. Wishing you a happy New Year, American Casting Association Casting Schedule When it's freezing in Chicago... We will be offering a combination of accuracy and distance events with plug and fly. Saturday Feb. 2nd- starts with exhibition cast-offs at IGFA Headquarters with champions Steve Rajeff, Henry Mittel and other top casters. Sunday Feb. 3rd- three distance events at Markham Park, Sunrise Fl Monday Feb. 4th- three accuracy events at Tiger Tail Lake, a block west of IGFA. The 5wt Combination Accuracy & Distance Event will be held on the lawn next to IGFA also on Monday. Tournament Registation & Schedule 7 Casting Events! You can view the Tournament Schedule or download the Tournament Registration Form with the links below. You can join an ACA club at the events, or you can can join as an ACA Individual Member on-line now below. ACA/IGFA Registration Form Download ACA/IGFA Casting Tournament Schedule Hotel Information Motel 6 Dania Beach has given ACA a special rate of $80.99 for a single, $86.39 double occ. if you book by Jan 1. Call 1-800-466-8356 and mention code M376000060. You might even pay less on-line now. The Holiday Inn- Fort Lauderdale Airport is located next door to the IGFA and has everything a traveler could need. Phone: 954-925-9100 Las Palmas Hotel & Suites is located in the town of Sunrise near the distance fields we will be casting on. Phone: 954-748-7000 Holiday Inn Ft. Lauderdale Airport Las Palmas Hotel & Suites Motel 6 Dania Beach ACA Memberships On-line

Essentials of Fly Casting 1. The elimination of SLACK LINE is the most efficient manner in which to cast a fly line. 2. Proper ACCELERATION of power applied to the fly rod at the correct time controls rod loading. Done with the Rotation of the rod at the grip or ARC. 3. The size of the CASTING STROKE is generally determined by the length of the line to be cast. 4. There must be a PAUSE that may vary in duration at the end of each back cast and forward cast stop. 5. There must be a STOP at the end of the stroke in both directions. 6. Efficient loop formation requires the caster to move the rod in a STRAIGHT LINE PATH to the target. The first 5 Essentials Are the building blocks of number 6.

Howdy Casting junkies You have asked several questions THAT IS GREAT. I started you thinking. I have added a list of terms I use. That should help in speaking the same language As for Tapes & video That is a list that would plug up this site. Yes I have a lot of good tapes. One of the best is Bill Gammel's "Teaching Yourself to Fly Cast". on a CD with a study guide you can carry with you when casting. You have to contact Bill Directly to get the CD now. thegammelfamily@yahoo.com might work. FFF site is under construction not working well yet. This CD is one that most of the FFF casting instruction is based on. The FFF has Jason and Gary Bogner tape "15 Most Common Casting Errors" That can help you be a better instructor. Joan Wulff "Dynamics of Fly Casting" Is solid basics to advanced George Anderson's tape if you can still find it. Saltwater fly casting casting. has some great tips. I do not use the clock face mine is a digital. I can not say 12 o'clock I might be too soon or too late for that rod. I want the tip to travel in a straight line path (SLP) in the direction I what the loop to travel. After the Stop my tip will continue to follow or point at the loop as it travels back. This stops several bad habbits. First it stops the tip from dropping too low behind, Second it reduces "Creeping" Third it will stop the short pausing. There are several others it helps. We call this "Drift". Longer cast require longer dirfts. I will post on a new reply on Bill Essentials Happy New Year ol Al

Glossary of Fly Casting Terms Please Read this before using any of these term definitions I again have to state this is just "my common" word usage of Terms. I know that none of these are set by the Board of Governors. Please do not think that this is any thing more that this Texan getting some common ground. I post it for the CCI and Masters to have as a way to keep our posting using some common terms. They will be changed I am sure. I use this list for my CCI study group. It has helped in understanding the casting as we discuss it. You'll know what I can do to the English language. ol Al CASTING ARC: Also called, "Casting angle". This is the angular change between the positions of the butt section of the rod from the beginning to that of the completion of the cast. CASTING PLANE: Many use this term in preference to the way I have used," LINE PLANE." LINE PLANE: Trajectory of the line. (For example — a high back cast followed by a low forward cast, maintaining 180 degrees between the two.) ROD PLANE: The orientation of the rod from vertical to horizontal on either side of the caster. TRACKING: Technically, the property of the rod tip following a straight line in all planes. In common use, however, it is considered the property of the moving rod tip to deviate or not from right to left. (Good tracking would be no deviation.) CASTING STROKE: The linear path taken by the hand during the cast CREEP: Minimally accelerated, slow (usually unintended) motion of the rod tip opposite that of an unrolling or newly unrolled loop. DRIFT: Movement of the rod tip (usually intended) in the direction of an unrolling loop. This can, 1.) Increase the available stroke length for the next stroke, 2.) Allow for repositioning of the hand/arm for the following stroke, 3.) Provide the feeling of, "staying connected", 4.) Provide increased, "hang time" for the above. FOLLOW-THROUGH: Same as drift, but used more often to describe the action immediately following the forward (presentation) stroke. STROKE LENGTH: The linear distance in the direction of the cast traveled by the hand. RSP: Rod Straight Position. (The point at which the fly line can overtake the rod tip allowing the loop to begin to form.) SLP: Straight Line Path of the rod tip. (Realizing that a perfect one would result in the line colliding with the rod tip......and the fact that the best, "elite" casters have a very slightly convex path of the rod tip). LEGS OF THE LOOP: The legs of a fly line loop are commonly described as 1.) the FLY LEG and; 2.) the ROD LEG. I prefer those terms instead of "top leg" and, "bottom leg" respectively, because it assumes a vertical rod plane. Where, for example, is the "top" leg when casting with the rod parallel to the ground? Note that a few mechanical engineers use the terms, "traveling leg" and, "stationary leg". These definitions suffer in the case of shooting line in which instance the term, "stationary" becomes a misnomer. Mac Brown (CASTING ANGLES, P. 88) refers to the legs of a loop as the, "end line" and "main line". I preferred not to use "main" since at the start of the cast that limb of the loop is much smaller than the other (fly leg).......one interpretation of the word, "main" being, "greatest". TAILING LOOP: A loop characterized by the fly (upper) leg crossing over the rod (lower) leg. Most often resulting from a concave rod tip path during or between strokes. OPEN LOOP: A Loop characterized by the large loop or lack of a the fly leg traveling in a flat plane. Caused by the convexed path of the rod tip. COUNTERFLEX: The flexion motion of the rod tip immediately after RSP. REBOUND: The reverse motion of the rod tip immediately after Counterflex. ROD HARMONICS: The first and second nodal vibration characteristics of a fly rod. TIP TRAVEL: Total linear distance the rod tip moves in the direction of the cast. (This can be the product of; 1.) Stroke length, 2.) Casting arc, 3.) Body motion in the direction of the cast & a step by the caster in the direction of the cast.) * KICK: One use is the sudden bucking of a level line at the conclusion of a cast. (Another use would be the description of rapid turnover of a fly leader beneath overlying brush.) MEND: In- the- air or on- the- water repositioning of the line after the cast. LAYOUT: The position of the fly line and leader upon landing on the water or the ground. OVERHANG: Two uses. One is the fallen brush or bushes, mangroves, etc. which protrude from the bank. OVERHANG as the length of running line between the rear end of the head taper and the rod tip. DOUBLE AND SINGLE HAULS: Most writers and instructors define a single haul as a pull with the line hand on either the back cast or the forward cast, and a double haul as a pull on each. You should be aware that Joan Wulff and her "disciples" teach it differently. She looks at the single haul as a pull without giving back line, and a double haul as a pull followed by giving back of line on a single stroke, forward or back. HIDDEN DRAG: Drag of a dry fly so slight as to escape the notice of the angler ... (But not the fish!) SPEY CAST: (My definition, after much deliberation and discussion with expert Spey folks.) An aerosolized, live line, change of direction roll type cast.

Howdy Casters I was invited here to share some casting tips. This looks like a good place to start. Today many fly casters come from spinning, bait casting, or plugging, One of the big differences between them and Us is where we start the rod tip. When teaching I will say. "START the Fly CAST" this is a mental picture of placing the FLY rod tip at the water. If you 'start' here your moving the line up and behind. My next word picture is make an "UP Cast BEHIND you." Not a back cast this would place the fly at the same level as your BACK or your Ear. What you want in an over-head cast is to get the line UP. If you think of it the forward cast will be 12 feet high, with a 9 ft rod. So why make your cast go low behind you? Get the back cast up to start with just by starting with your tip low. Good casting comes form good practice not just repeating the same mistakes. ol AL

Howdy Gang Some years ago I was on the CCI trail. I went to the FFF site www.fedflyfisher.org and read what was needed. Then I bought some videos and Books. Took many hours of lessons at conclaves, FF shows and anywhere I could. At last, I was ready to take my CCI test. Passing the written was the half way point, so I thought. Nervous was an understatement. I could not tie the yarn on my tippet.... Well I was now in what is refereed to a "Training Session". Loops are the name of the game. Now to make them. How to control them, and How to get your student to make them. How to fix problems and the the TERMS that any good CCI should be using I wash out of course. Try two went better. Still not what they wanted. Back to school better rod. Better line. That was all I just had to buy better stuff. That would make be a better instructor. NOT> Try three was a walk in the park I had studied, cast and cast some more but what I did the most was to teach, teach and teach. Now I was a Certified Casting Instructor. I was on a high. Then I found that this only opened the door to more Study, Teaching, and casting. I was on the Masters trail. Several years went into this study. I was sure I was ready to take the FFF MASTER CASTING INSTRUCTORS test. The first two try gave me things I had to master. Teaching Casting and control of that loop. After try two I met Gordy Hill. He and I started E mailing each other. This was the turning point for me. Try three was one of those days at Gulf Shores, AL where the wind blew off the Gulf at 30+ mph I was "ON" that day. With lots of help from Above, following many prayers I DID. What I found lacking in mid America was someone to learn from. Some where to learn. Where to hear and discuss Fly Casting. I started having CCI Clinics here on my Ranch. The Instructors are CCIs, the students are green to advanced and some are on the CCI trail. These clinics have helped many on the road. Many have just enjoyed the chance to learn more about casting. So I now try to help anyone I can along the CCI trail. If you are still thinking of changing your lifestyle to a 'Casting Junky' Then we might become friends. Have questions Ask, I will try. ol Al

Howdy Gang Sorry It took me so long to get here pass word problems and old age.. I am a FFF Master Casting Instructor. If you were at any of the Souther Council Conclaves since 1997 you might have seem me. If you were in a youth camp class at the conclave you would know me. I fish from a kayak on Texas Rivers and the Saltwater flats. Farm ponds or Tanks as they are call in Texas. Rivers like the White, Norfork, Little Red, Little Mo and even as far a way as Yellowstone. I spent my well spent youth guiding in the Florida Keys. Today Nola my wife live southwest of Ft, Worth TX on Hawk Ridge Ranch. Here I hold Casting lesson for private Groups and Clinics. Special training for FFF CCI candidates. ol Al Allen Crise FFF-Master Casting Instructor FFF-SOC Man of the Year FFF-SOC VP Education Adaptive Fly Fishers http://wlsff.com/affcommunityserver/forums/3/ShowForum.aspx PHW www.projecthealingwaters.org/Index.htm FWFF Chairman Education